ABOUT US

USAID´s Justice for All Program (October 2012 – September 2017)

Harold D. Dampier, Jr., Chief of Party– is an experienced manager, legal advisor, and educator with a decade of leadership experience managing justice sector reform and professional development initiatives and proven ability to work successfully on programs Eastern Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Prior to joining as Chief of Party of USAID’s Justice for All Program in 2015, Mr. Dampier served as short-term Legal & Judicial Education Expert in 2013 and 2014, working closely with the Judicial Administration Training Institute. From 2012 to 2014, Mr. Dampier served as Chief of Party for the USAID Kosovo Legal Profession Program, where he revised legislation governing the bar, promoted women leadership within the legal profession and law faculties, and facilitated bench-bar collaboration to improve court governance and the practice of law. From 2006 to 2012, Mr. Dampier served as the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe's Special Advisor to the Kosovo Judicial Institute, where he supported the creation of aninitial legal education program and a sustainable continuing legal education programs for judges and prosecutors, and Head of the Legal Monitoring Unit, where he managed efforts to monitor and advise on progress with justice sector reform implementation. Prior to 2006, Mr. Dampier led a USAID-funded Rule of Law project in Albania, which improved the professionalism of judges, prosecutors and lawyers through practical training, working in close partnership with justice sector counterparts including the Magistrates’ School, Legal Aid Clinic, Women Lawyers Association, and Young Lawyers Association, where he contributed to the formulation of an Access to Justice Strategy to improve public trust and confidence in the legal system in Albania. Mr. Dampier served formerly as Program Manager for the International Bar Association’s Rule of Law portfolio in Sub-Saharan Africa, funded by USAID, the World Bank, and Soros Foundation. He holds a J.D. from South Texas College of Law and is licensed to practice in Texas.

Ms. Sharmeen Afroza Farouk, Deputy Chief of Party– Ms. Farouk is an experienced development practitioner, legal advisor, and program manager with fifteen years of experience working on Access to Justice, Human Rights, and Legal Reform initiatives in Bangladesh. Ms. Farouk has extensive experience working on the improvement and promotion of legal aid services in Bangladesh and maintains collaborative relationships with the Ministry of Law, the National Legal Aid Services Organization, and judicial and legal aid officials. Prior to joining the JFA Team, Ms. Farouk worked from 2006 to 2012 for the Bangladesh Legal Reform Project, funded by the Canadian International Development Agency, first as Coordinator of the Dhaka Duty Counsel Pilot and later as Project Field Manager. The BLRP demonstrated solid results as a pro-poor and pro-women intervention to strengthen legal aid services and to generate best practices through model legal aid programs, pilots, and innovation testing. In 2012, Ms. Farouk assisted the National Legal Aid Services Organization in developing a five-year Government Legal Aid Strategic Plan. Prior to working on the BLRP, Ms. Farouk served as Senior Research Officer for the Bangladesh National Women Lawyers Association. Ms. Farouk holds an LLM and LLB in Law from the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Mr. MD Anisur Rahman, Finance and Administration Manager–Mr. Rahman is a seasoned Finance and Administration Manager with over twenty-two years of experience managing financial operations for international development programs in Bangladesh. He has substantial experience in project accounting, budget preparation and control, monitoring, and financial reporting. Prior to joining the JFA team, he worked as an Accounts Manager and Administrative Manager for The WorldFish Center from 2004-2012, and was an Administrative Manager for CARE International from 1991-2002. Mr. Rahman also worked as a Program Support Coordinator for Chemonics International, Inc. on the PRICE Project funded by USAID from 2012-2013 and as a Program Coordinator for the Bangladesh Aquaculture Development Society and Nautilus Consultants, UK 2002-2003. Mr. Rahman holds MBA from Darul Ihsan University.

Mr. A.K.M. Mokammel Haque, Monitoring & Evaluation Specialist– Mr. Haque is a skilled Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist with twelve years of experience in planning, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating development projects in the areas of legal aid, court systems, disaster management, and child protection in Bangladesh. He has demonstrated expertise in designing M&E tools and systems, monitoring progress against targets, and measuring results and impact. Before joining JFA, Mr. Haque worked as a Monitoring and Evaluation Coordinator for Bangladesh Legal Aid Services and Trust for the Activating Village Courts in Bangladesh Project, funded by UNDP. He also worked as an M&E Specialist for World Vision and Save the Children. Mr. Haque earned an MS and BS from the University of Dhaka.

Mr. Md. Mostafa Kamal, Legal Officer— Mr. Kamal is a legal professional with five years of experience facilitating access to justice and legal assistance for traditionally marginalized groups in Bangladesh. He has substantial experience coordinating legal assistance programs, providing legal literacy training, and conducting legal research. Prior to joining the JFA team, Mr. Kamal worked from 2009 to 2012 as a Legal Coordinator at the District Legal Aid Committee (DLAC) in Brahmanbaraia. As a DLAC Legal Coordinator, Mr. Kamal managed the distribution of legal aid services in four districts. He also worked to provide legal aid services to vulnerable women and children as a Legal Coordinator for the Bangladesh National Women Lawyer’s Association. Mr. Kamal received an LLM and LLB from the University of Rajshahi.

Mr. Md. Nashid Reza, Senior Legal Officer– Mr. Reza is a legal professional with six years of experience providing legal aid, legal counseling, and legal literacy training to disadvantaged groups in Bangladesh. He has experience working with the National Legal Aid Services Organization and District Legal Aid Committee, and has demonstrated knowledge of case management and mediation. Prior to joining the JFA team, Mr. Reza worked as a Program Officer on the Legislative Team at the Promoting Democratic Institutions and Practices Project, funded by USAID. From 2009 to 2012, he managed the Legal Aid Program at the Association for Land Reform and Development. He also worked as a trainer at Ain o Salish Kendra, a national legal aid and human rights organization. Mr. Reza holds an LLM and LLB from the University of Rajshahi, a Masters of Public Affairs in Governance and Public Policy from the University of Dhaka, and a Diploma in Social Compliance from Bangladeshi Institute of Management.

Mr. Nanda Lal Sutradhar, Communications & Awareness Manager– Mr. Sutradhar is an experienced development practitioner and governance specialist with twenty years of experience facilitating government-NGO relations and leading advocacy and public awareness initiatives in Bangladesh. His extensive experience includes designing and managing social media and outreach campaigns, coordinating community mobilization efforts, and building relationships with media, government, and private sector partners. Before joining JFA, Mr. Sutradhar worked as a Governance Specialist for media professionals group with the Strengthening Democratic Local Governance project, funded by USAID, where he created media campaigns designed to empower citizens to participate in local government. From 2009 to 2011, he managed capacity building efforts with Local Government Associations for the Promoting Governance, Accountability, Transparency, and Integrity Project, funded by USAID. Prior to working with USAID on governance projects, Mr. Sutradhar led numerous NGO advocacy campaigns to promote citizen and youth movement and human rights for vulnerable populations of women, children, and the disabled. Mr. Sutradhar received a BSS and an MSS in Social Welfare from Dhaka University and a Postgraduate Diploma in NGO Leadership & Management from Global Partnership (SIT-USA, ORAP-Zimbabwe & BRAC).

Mr. Sayed Salimullah, Grants Manager– Mr. Sayed Salimullah is a skilled financial professional with a specialization in Grants Management. He has more than 10 years of experience in grants, finance and administration at international development organizations, and has managed a grants portfolio of more than $35 million, with 52 implementing partners across Bangladesh. His comprehensive grant experience includes grant award selection, budget and financial oversight, grant monitoring and compliance, and grant close-out. He also has demonstrated knowledge of financial reporting, cash flow management, procurement, and payment procedures. Prior to joining JFA, Mr. Salimullah worked as a Grants Manager for University Research Co. LLC, and as a Deputy Manager of Grants Compliance for Save the Children International. He holds an MBA and a BBS in Finance and Banking from the University of Rajshahi. He also earned a Postgraduate Diploma in Personnel Management from Bangladesh Institute of Management and received fundamental level training from The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.

Ms. Shahida Kamal, Senior Administrative/HR Associate– Ms. Kamal is an administrative professional with more than five years of experience in office administration and Human Resources. She has experience managing office correspondence, scheduling meetings and travel, and maintaining databases and files. Before joining JFA, she worked as an Administrative Officer at the International Fertilizer Development Center from 2010-2012. She also worked previously as a teacher. She holds an MBA from the State University of Bangladesh, Dhaka and a BSS in Economics from the National University.

Ms. Roushani Mansoor, Fulbright Public Policy Fellow (Short-term volunteer)– Ms. Mansoor is a legal professional with experience working on access to justice mechanisms, criminal justice reform in Kosovo, post-independence issues in South Sudan, and ceasefire negotiations. Currently, she is working in Bangladesh as a Fulbright Public Policy Fellow on access to justice issues for Bangladeshi women. Before coming to Bangladesh, she worked as a Senior Research Associate for the Public International Law & Policy Group, and as a Law Clerk for the Commercial Law Development Program for the U.S. Department of Commerce. Ms. Mansoor holds a JD with a focus on international law from the Washington College of Law at American University, and a BA in international political economy from the University of California, Berkeley.

Mr. Md. Zahirul Islam, Legal Coordinator– Mr. Islam is a law graduate and legal professional specializing in legal research. Prior to joining the JFA team, he worked as a Research Assistant for the Bangladesh Institute of Law and International Affairs and trained as a lawyer with Barrister Forrukh Rahman. He has demonstrated experience with drafting legal deeds, managing court documents, editing and conducting legal research. Mr. Islam also worked as the Section Editor of the Law and Justice, a weekly feature for the Daily Jaijaidin newspaper from 2010-2012. He holds an LLB and LLM from the University of Dhaka.

Ms. Violaine Autheman, Senior Program Manager– Violaine Autheman is an experienced project manager and legal advisor with expertise in the design, implementation, management and evaluation of Rule of Law reform programs. Ms. Autheman serves as Home Office Project Manager for a diverse portfolio of NCSC programs in Eastern Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. For USAID´ Justice Support Program implemented by NCSC in Kosovo, Ms. Autheman served as Deputy Chief of Party between 2010 and 2011, and as Model Courts Coordinator/Monitoring & Evaluation Specialist from 2007 to 2010. Ms. Autheman has developed and delivered training programs on case management and the reduction of case delay and backlog. Ms. Autheman conceptualized and directed the implementation of USAID/Kosovo´ Model Courts Program, a high-impact program which adopted best practices and endorsed sweeping court administration reforms enabling more effective and accessible court operation. Prior to joining NCSC, Ms. Autheman served as Rule of Law Advisor at IFES in Washington, D.C., contributing to projects in Kosovo, Liberia, Lebanon, China and Haiti. Ms. Autheman has developed and managed legal and judicial reform assessments and programs funded by multiple donors including USAID, the U.S. Department of State, UNDP, and the Inter-American Development Bank. She is a published author on the subject of judicial councils, judicial independence, and other rule of law reform topics. Ms. Autheman has an LLM in International Legal Studies from American University, Washington College of Law, and has a degree in French and Anglo-American Law and Masters Diploma in Applied Legal Studies from the University of Paris X, France.

Mr. Md. Saiful Haque, Grants Specialist — Mr. Haque is an experienced financial professional, specializing in accounting and Grants Management. He has more than 15 years of finance and administration experience with international development organizations in Bangladesh. He has provided financial oversight to organizations that support women, children, and other vulnerable groups, including CARE and Plan International. Prior to joining the JFA team, he worked as a Sub-Grant Finance Officer for CARE Bangladesh and as a Partner Financial Support Officer for Concern Worldwide, Bangladesh. Mr. Haque's expertise includes budget preparation and monitoring, auditing, and grant compliance. He also has experience building the capacity of local partners and strengthening financial management systems of sub-grantees. Mr. Haque holds a Bachelors and Masters degree in Accounting from Rajshahi University and an MBA from South East University.

Mr. A.K.M. Azad Hossain, Legal Associate—Mr. Hossain is a law graduate and legal professional with experience as a legal researcher and lecturer. In 2012, Mr. Hossain served as Legal Assistant for the Association for Land Reform and Development supporting legal aid service delivery, training and workshops, case study development and providing legal research and analysis to improve the delivery of legal aid services. Mr. Hossain is very efficient in client counseling and arranging programs in the law sector. After working as a lecturer and program coordinator for private university Ishakha International University in 2012, Mr. Hossain served as lecturer on topics including Public International Law, Transfer of Property, and Conveyance & Legal Drafting at the Bangladesh University of Business and Technology (BUBT) in 2013-2014. He holds an LLB and LLM from Rajshahi University.

Tuhin, Driver, and Sirazul, Office Assistant– Tuhin and Sirazul provide day-to-day logistical and administrative support to the Justice for All Program Team, including transportation, delivery services, office maintenance, and miscellaneous meeting support. Both have extensive experience in transport and office support positions prior to joining the Program.

This website is made possible with the support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under Cooperative Agreement No. AID-388-A-12-00004. The contents are the sole responsibility of the National Center for State Courts and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of USAID or the U.S. Government.